


your friends all think i'm lonely

by moonbeamlex



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Canon Asexual Character, M/M, Martin & Jon are both kinda morons, Martin is jealous af, Misunderstandings, also he and Tim make out at a party, takes place in some alternate season three timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:40:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21912304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonbeamlex/pseuds/moonbeamlex
Summary: the five times martin blackwood hated georgie barker (and the one time he didn’t)
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims, Martin Blackwood/Tim Stoker, Past Jonathan Sims/Georgie Barker - Relationship
Comments: 23
Kudos: 444





	your friends all think i'm lonely

**Author's Note:**

> this takes place sometime technically in season three, but a weird season three, where they can actually be happy? so, like, the most au thing in the entire world basically. based on the fact that martin is a jealous bitch and i love him. 
> 
> title: sophie by the altogether  
> shout out to: em and june, for getting me into this hellhole. thanks, i hate it!

**#1**

Martin hadn’t really been expecting to meet her. Jon had mentioned her, once or twice, but Martin didn’t...well, he hadn’t realized they still talked. He hadn’t realized they were still _close_ , who was still close with their ex girlfriend from uni? But Jon had agreed to come out for drinks with him, had agreed to do something together _outside of work_ , and Martin had gotten his hopes up and then--

Well. He and Martin had left work together. Jon had run late, hadn’t wanted to put his work down, which wasn’t surprising, not at all, but Martin hadn’t minded waiting. He was used to waiting for Jon. There was a chair in Jon’s office that...well, it wasn’t exactly _comfortable_ but it wasn’t terrible either. It was near Jon, in his presence, and so it was one of Martin’s favorite places to relax in the entire Institute. He had camped out, notebook in hand and pen mostly between his teeth, until Jon had finally glanced at his watch and startled to see it was almost six. 

He had apologized, which was new for Jon, really, but Martin had just smiled. It could have been ten o’clock, midnight, two am, and Martin would just be thankful that Jon had agreed to come at all. That Jon was fine, seemingly content, with Martin spending his free time in Jon’s office while he worked. They walked to a nearby pub together, their shoulders bumping together on the sidewalk every so often, while Martin chatted to Jon about...well, nothing important. Idle chatter that filled the silence and kept Jon from being lost in thought. 

It wasn’t until they were at the pub, leaning against the bar and newly ordered drinks in hand, did it get sprung on Martin. A woman made her way over to Jon, put a hand on his arm, and said, “I’ve been waiting forever.” Jon had smiled at her, not shrugged her hand off, not looked at her with confusion like Martin currently was. And then Jon had apologized to _her._ So apparently, the new Jon who apologized wasn’t someone exclusively for Martin.

Okay. 

That was fine. 

Well, it was fine until Jon turned towards him and said, “Georgie, this is Martin, one of the assistants in the archive. Martin, this is Georgie. My, uh...friend?” He sounded hesitant while saying it, which made Martin feel uneasy. He was a _coworker_ while this woman, who felt comfortable _touching_ him, was more than what ‘friend’ could signify? 

Georgie just smiled at Jon’s awkward introduction, holding a hand out towards Martin. “I’m his ex-girlfriend,” she said, eyes crinkled with her smile. 

Martin didn’t want to shake her hand. He wanted to turn around and walk away. He wanted to grab Jon by the shoulders, shake him, and ask him what exactly was going on in his brain that he thought inviting his ex-girlfriend out to drinks with them was a good idea. 

He took Georgie’s hand and forced a smile. He could tell it didn’t look right, probably didn’t look _real_. “It’s nice to meet you,” he lied through his teeth. Georgie’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, her smile dropped into something less all encompassing, clearly noticing that Martin wasn’t being genuine, but she didn’t bring anything up. Jon was oblivious, a small smile, one Martin rarely saw, on his face as he watched them. 

Jon was often oblivious. 

Martin resigned himself to a night as the third wheel, shoulders tense as Jon and George discussed an old friend Georgie had recently run into, and ordered himself another drink. 

**#2**

Jon was asleep on his desk. This wasn’t shocking, not at all, and it wasn’t even the first time Martin had caught him asleep with his head pillowed on his arms this week. It always made Martin’s heart clench, though. Jon was running himself ragged, clearly exhausted. Martin couldn’t remember the last time he looked well rested. He wasn’t sure if there _had_ been a time, even before things had started going to hell. 

Martin sat the cup of tea that he had brought down on the very edge of Jon’s desk, trying to make sure that it wouldn’t be knocked off if Jon awoke abruptly. He watched Jon sleep, knowing that it was a bit creepy, but not really being able to look away. He always thought people were supposed to look more peaceful when they slept. He wished Jon did. 

Eventually, Martin made a decision, and moved closer to where Jon rested. He moved slowly, trying to be careful and precise, and removed Jon’s glasses. He folded them and sat them down just out of reach. Next, he shrugged off his own jacket. It was cold in Jon’s office, colder than the rest of the archives, and well... It wasn’t a blanket, but it would hopefully help, at least a little, to make Jon more comfortable. He draped the jacket gently over Jon’s shoulders, and straightened up. 

He paused, knowing he should get back to work, that he shouldn’t linger in his boss’ office while the man wasn’t conscious but…he allowed himself one small moment, one soft gesture, and brushed back a strand of prematurely graying hair that had fallen into Jon’s face once his glasses had been removed. 

At the touch, Jon’s lips twitched slightly, and Martin pulled his hand back like he had been burned. Jon didn’t seem to be waking, however. Instead it looked…well, it almost looked like Jon was smiling. The sight made Martin’s heart clench once more, a warmth flooding his cheeks. He couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his own lips, and was getting ready to leave to go back to work, much more cheerful than he had been when he came in, when Jon’s phone went off. 

Normally, Martin would leave it alone. It wasn’t his phone, it was a massive breach of privacy. But Jon was asleep, for _once_ , and he had just _smiled_ , so he probably wasn’t even having a _nightmare_ and. It wasn’t like he was going to go through it, just _silence_ it, so the noise didn’t wake Jon up, which would inevitably cause him to go back to work, relaxation done for...probably at least the next twelve hours. He only gave himself a second to justify his actions to himself before he grabbed the phone and hit the silence button. 

The ringing stopped abruptly. Jon slept. Martin let out a breath, clutching Jon’s phone tightly in his hands. He was about to put it back down, exactly in the place he had found it, about to finally leave the office, when it vibrated twice in rapid succession in his hand. He shouldn’t have looked, he knew that. It wasn’t his phone. It was a breach of privacy. He repeated those two sentences to himself about twelve times each before giving in and glancing at the screen. 

They were from Georgie. 

‘Are you still at work?’ ‘Stupid question, of course you are. Please pick up milk on the way home. We’re out.’ 

On the way home. We’re out. 

On the way home. We’re out. 

They were living together. Martin didn’t know why he was so surprised. Jon had never mentioned but--but of course he hadn’t, why would he? Georgie had clearly introduced herself as an ex-girlfriend, a _friend_ , but that had been...gosh, almost a month ago. So much could have happened in that time, of course, but moving in together? Martin could have sworn Jon used to have his own flat, he had nagging memories of Jon mentioning living alone, had he fabricated those or-- 

John shifted at his desk and Martin jumped, guilty and nervous. He hurried to replace Jon’s phone on the desk, giving him one last glance before he ran out of the office. 

He was still smiling. 

Martin wondered if he was dreaming of Georgie. 

Martin forced down the tears welling in his eyes, because _honestly, Martin_ , how ridiculous can you _be_ , and hid out in the corner of the archives, not talking to anyone, until he left for home. He didn’t see Jon again, and he didn’t remember his jacket until he was halfway back to his flat. 

**#3**

Martin loved office Christmas parties. He always had, ever since he started working at the institute. He had a great time, enjoyed getting to spend time with his coworkers outside of work, and honestly? He got a bit lonely, sometimes, at home. It wasn’t like he had never had any other friends, of course he had, it was just…

Well, since starting at the archive, it had been a lot easier to get looked over. He was always busy, he knew that. He threw himself into his work, into proving that he deserved his spot at the institute despite the CV he had...embellished. His friends had used to reach out, it wasn’t their fault, but lately it felt like...well, maybe they didn’t anymore. And they were still going out, usually together, he saw that much on social media, so it was just him that was out of the equation there. 

It was his fault, not theirs, he wasn’t...he wasn’t _angry_ at them. It was just. Lonely. That was really the right word, even if it did dig at Martin’s self-esteem a bit, made him feel a bit pathetic. He was a twenty-nine year old man, he shouldn’t be working himself up about not going out clubbing with his friends on Saturday nights anymore. 

But office parties helped. He liked being surrounded by people, liked being able to look around the room and know everyone’s names and how useful they were to the institute. He liked getting more and more cheerful as he had more and more drinks and chattering about ghost stories with one of the receptionists, a nice girl named Lily. She was sure her childhood home was haunted, she was explaining to him, and Martin had no reason not to believe her. 

After all, he knew firsthand that there was definitely weird shit out there. He rubbed absently at one of his scars, suddenly a bit self conscious, even while he was chatting absently. He didn’t know what made him turn towards the door, he shouldn’t have been able to hear it opening over the music and the noise, but it was like he was compelled suddenly. 

Jon was here. That wasn’t really all that surprising, Jon usually put in an appearance at the office parties. He arrived late, stayed for one drink, talked a bit to Martin or Tim or Sasha or Elias, and only one of those four, and then he left. It was like clockwork, at this point, and Martin hadn’t expected anything else different tonight. He still felt that warmth pool in his stomach and spread up to his chest at the sight of him though. 

Well, until he saw Georgie walk in behind him. He knew that they all technically had plus ones to the office parties, for significant others usually, but it wasn’t often that the people he was closest to _used_ them. Elias was often cagey about his own personal life, but Martin couldn’t actually imagine anyone actually wanting to _date_ him. Tim bounced around between people so often there wasn’t ever anyone serious enough to _introduce_ , and honestly, good for Tim, he seemed happy with that, and Sasha…

Best not to think of Sasha now. This was supposed to be a good night. One of the best nights of the year. Jon and Georgie must have seen him, in the time that he was having a mild panic attack at the sight of them, and they were making their way over. Martin mumbled an excuse to Lily, about to run, to _hide_ , but he didn’t have enough time. His boss and his boss’ hot girlfriend were already beside them. 

“Martin,” Jon said, a hand reaching up to run through his hair and push it out of his face, “it’s nice to see you.” Martin was distracted, watching the movement of Jon’s hand, distracted by how _ridiculously_ attractive the gray in Jon’s hair was, and honestly, how unfair _was_ that, and so he only realized Jon had spoken to him a second too late, his stuttered reply even more awkward due to the amount of time it had taken him to respond. 

Georgie smiled at him, the same genuine smile that she had given him the first time they had met, and Martin couldn’t handle this. He re-mumbled the excuse he had given Lily and finally ducked away. He knew his face was bright red, and honestly, that obvious sign of his own embarrassment just made it worse. He needed another drink. 

Tim was standing by the bar and all it took was one look at Martin for him to grab him a drink. The first sip made Martin wince, it was stronger than his usual, but honestly? It was helpful. Tim didn’t make him talk, not while he downed the drink, and then handed him a glass of water. Martin could kiss him. 

“Everything okay?” Tim asked finally, once Martin had dutifully taken his first drink of the water. Martin glanced back, eyes landing on Jon, who was still standing against the far wall, hands shoved in his pockets, seemingly awkward while Lily and Georgie chatted. Tim followed his gaze, and nodded in understanding. “Ah, yes. Your crush on the boss. I still don’t get it.”   
  
Martin sighed, closing his eyes briefly as he turned away from Jon and back to Tim. “I don’t really get it either. I need to get over him, but I...I don’t really know _how_ , I guess,” he said, sounding mournful even to his own ears. Crushes were ridiculous. Feelings in general were, Martin decided. He wanted another drink. That maybe wasn’t a good idea. 

“What helps me,” Tim said, a small smirk on his lips, “not that I need the help often, but when I do. It’s easiest to move on, when you’ve got someone else lined up, you know? Takes your mind off things, makes it easier to remember there’s always another fish in the sea.” 

Martin sighed. “I suppose that’s easy enough for you,” he said, no malice in his voice, just resignation. “I don’t know how I’d go about finding someone else to line up. It’s not like…” Well, it’s not like he looked like _Georgie_ , for instance. He was tall, awkwardly knobbly, and so completely covered in freckles that there were spots on his arms where he couldn’t actually see bits of his actual skin color. The scars didn’t help. 

“Martin.” Tim said, shaking his head, appearing more fond than Martin had seen him in weeks. “All you’ve got to do is ask.”   
  
Martin stared at him, a bit confused, before the quirk of Tim’s smirk made it sink in. Oh. _Oh._ “You want to...with me?” he asked, voice sounding higher pitched than he had intended, and nothing even close to seductive. Tim raised an eyebrow at him, took the drink from Martin’s hand, and tilted his head towards one of the closed rooms behind him. 

Martin followed him when he started to walk. 

Kissing Tim was...well, it was _nice_ . There was no doubt about that. They were about equal in height, but Tim pressed his back up against a wall and tangled hands in his hair and _tugged_ and it made Martin’s knees feel a little weak. Like maybe, if Tim hadn’t been holding him up against the wall, he might have fallen onto them. 

Maybe that was where this was headed. Martin tried not to let himself think about it, not get too far ahead of himself, and just enjoy the moment. He locked his arms around Tim’s neck, kept his eyes closed, and tried his best to _focus_. 

He wondered what it would be like if this was Jon. 

No, that was entirely the wrong kind of focus. That was the _opposite_ of the point, and Tim didn’t deserve that. He may have known that Martin was head over heels for their annoying boss, but he was trying to _help_ Martin here, and he didn’t deserve...well, whatever Martin’s weird twisted fantasies could come up with involving Jon. 

He doubled down, squeezing his eyes shut harder, pressing himself into the kisses more, and Tim seemed to answer with enthusiasm. He had just slid a hand under Martin’s shirt, making him jump at the contact on his skin, when the door to whatever office they were in opened. 

They didn’t turn the light on, but the light from the hallway was enough to make it obvious what was happening. Martin opened his eyes, slowly, knowing before he even looked who it would be. He could feel it. 

Of course. Of _course_ it was Jon, and not just Jon, but Jon with Georgie by his side. Martin felt cold. Of all the rooms for Jon to go make out with his gorgeous girlfriend in, they had to choose the one that was occupied. The one where he had been so close to actually letting himself think maybe he could get over Jon. Tim hadn’t moved from his spot pinning Martin against the wall, hand still resting under Martin’s shirt. 

“Excuse me, boss,” he said, voice a drawl, harsher than it had been all night when talking to Martin. “We’re a little busy here. Some privacy, maybe?” 

Jon didn’t answer, just turned on his heel and walked away. Georgie stayed lingering a moment longer, and she and Martin locked eyes. She almost looked...disappointed. Martin felt a surge of anger in his stomach at that point. It wasn’t like they were _in need_ of places to sneak off to at the office Christmas party to make out. If she was that damn disappointed that she couldn’t get off with Jon at his _place of work_ , she could always just take him _home to the flat they shared_. 

A bed would be more comfortable than a desk or the wall anyway. Martin assumed. 

Georgie closed the door behind her as she left, and Martin and Tim were flooded into darkness once again. Tim leaned in for another kiss, one Martin tried his best to return with enthusiasm, but the hope he had before was gone. 

“Tim,” he muttered, pushing gently at his chest. Tim backed away immediately, a sigh escaping his lips even as he nodded. He knew. Martin felt terrible. He wanted to hug him, wanted to thank him for trying, but he was already walking away. He left Martin alone in the office, and Martin slid his back down the wall until he was on the floor, knees pressed to his chest. 

He didn’t know how long he sat in the dark, trying not to cry, but by the time he left to grab his coat and go home, Tim, Georgie, and Jon were all gone. 

**#4**

Martin was hate listening. He knew that was a little juvenile, a little beneath him, but...well, he could admit, at least to himself, that he spent a large chunk of his spare time thinking about Jon and Georgie. It was Melanie who told him about about What the Ghost! She said it offhandedly, while talking about something else she and Georgie had done that weekend (because of course they were _friends_ , apparently _everyone_ was friends with Georgie now, wasn’t that just _lovely_ ). He had nodded along, done his best to hide the annoyance he felt at hearing her name, gone home, and immediately found the first episode. 

He was caught up now, or close to it. He was stubborn about the fact that he was only hate listening. He didn’t think the show was _good_ or anything. Definitely not. He had to admit, though, that Georgie had a soothing voice. It was nice. Or, well, it would be. There were times he would get caught up in the episode, maybe even be a bit on the edge of his seat, entirely focused on what Georgie was saying and then...well, he’d remember. And then a strong stab of jealousy would flow through him, usually enough to make him turn off the episode and start again later. 

Usually.

  
Honestly, he should have known better than to listen in the archives but...well, he was alone. He hated being alone more and more often recently, could go less time in between seeing his friends (coworkers? No, friends.) before he started to get dreadfully lonely. It was easier when he had someone’s voice, even if it was Georgie’s, even if he still _disliked_ her. 

He knew he was being petty. Georgie had been nothing but nice to him, every time he had seen her since the holiday party she had smiled at him, said hello. He usually nodded and hurried away as fast as he could, but he was starting to have to admit it wasn’t actually _her_ fault. She hadn’t done anything wrong. He couldn’t fault her for loving Jon, could he? 

But of course that was easier logically thought out than said or done. He couldn’t help the way his stomach flipped when he saw her, couldn’t help the pain that coursed through him when he thought about her and Jon being domestic together at home. He even tried to avoid Jon, for awhile. It didn’t really work, though. Martin was, apparently, a masochist. 

Jon had been nicer lately, anyway. He talked to Martin more than he used to, talked to all of them, even Elias and Tim, more than he used to. He and Tim still usually ended up snarking at each other more than they had civil conversations, but at least they were acknowledging each other. That gave Martin hope they’d go back to being...well, maybe they weren’t ever _friends_ exactly, but it gave Martin hope that they could be. When this was all over. When everything was figured out. 

Jon smiled more, too. He smiled at Martin when he brought him a cup of tea, or at Basira when she stopped by, even at Elias once or twice when their boss was being...well, less of a murderous asshole than usual. Martin had no idea how Jon was able to pull _that_ one off, honestly. 

But it was nice. Georgie was clearly having a good effect on him. It was something that Martin was directly benefiting from, even. He should be thankful. He should at least _try_ to be better. He knew that, deep down. 

He was mostly lost in thought, actually focusing on his work, barely paying attention to the actual podcast, when he heard Jon’s voice. He looked up, confused, but he was still alone in the room. It took him a second longer to realize that Jon’s voice was too quiet, a bit too distant to actually be in the room. He looked down at his phone, where the podcast was playing, and hesitated a minute before rewinding it and giving it his full attention. 

It wasn’t much. Georgie was talking and then, the sound of a door opening. ‘Where’d you put The Admiral’s food? Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.’ A faint sound of purring, the sound of the door shutting, amusement in Georgie’s voice as she continues what she was saying. It was nothing, really, in the grand scheme of things. 

Martin didn’t know why it made him cry. He had been so good about all of this, he hadn’t cried _once_ no matter how many times he had wanted to, had felt the tears welling up in his eyes. Letting them out, actually crying always seemed a step too dramatic, a bit too far. It was a physical sign that he was hurt, upset that Jon was _happy_. He could ignore the pangs in his chest, the coldness running through his body, the clench of his stomach and continue on like nothing was happening. But crying? That was real. 

But once the tears had started to leak from his eyes, Martin couldn’t stop them. He sat in the archive, alone, with Georgie’s voice still playing in his ears, and cried over his heart being broken. He didn’t know how long it had been, had been utterly terrible at paying attention, when he felt someone’s hand on his shoulder. 

He jumped at the contact, knocking his phone onto the floor. His headphones stayed in his ears, the chord disconnecting them from the phone, and Georgie’s voice started playing out loud into the archive. It seemed _wrong_ , too loud and sudden, and Martin scrambled to grab the phone to turn it off. However, someone’s hand was still on his shoulder. 

He looked up slowly, stomach twisting itself with nerves, as if he could sense who it was going to be. Jon was staring at him, eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of concern and shock. “Martin, what are you--?” he started to ask, but Martin was already squirming out of his grasp to stand up from his seat. 

He wondered if his eyes looked as wild as he currently felt. Georgie’s voice was _still going_ , still coming out of his phone, and Martin couldn’t decide whether he wanted to lunge for the phone or turn around and flee, leaving it behind just like he had with Prentiss. He couldn’t make up his mind, instead frozen to the spot, eyes still leaking tears. 

Jon was looking between him and his phone. Jon seemed to be able to think faster than Martin could, however, and was the one to eventually reach down and turn off the podcast. He held the phone out to Martin, still looking concerned. Martin hesitated, a little too long again, he was always waiting a bit too long for it to feel _normal_ , and reached out to take it from him. He pocketed the phone, looking at the floor, away from Jon’s eyes. 

“Martin, why are you crying?” Jon asked. 

Martin didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to _lie,_ not to Jon, not after everything that had happened, after how hard he’d tried to get Jon to _trust_ him. But how did one blurt out that they were crying at work while listening to their boss’ girlfriend’s podcast because they were heartbroken at how domestic said boss and said girlfriend were together? “I…” he started, but trailed off, not sure how to continue. 

Jon didn’t seem to know what to do either, besides waiting for Martin to talk. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Jon sighed. He took a step closer to Martin, which made Martin instinctively want to shy away, but he fought his instincts and stood his ground. He wasn’t scared of Jon, had never been, and he wasn’t about to start now.

  
He wasn’t expecting it when Jon pulled him into a hug, though. It was awkward, they had never hugged before, and Jon was...well, he was shorter than him and Martin was stooped over a bit and it was a little uncomfortable. But he didn’t let go, or shift away, or even fix their positions. He just stayed pressed against Jon and, although it was mortifying, he continued to cry.

Once his tears dried up, he pulled back from the hug, but Jon didn’t seem to want to let go. “I’m sorry,” he muttered, softly, “for crying on your shirt.”   
  
Jon let out an annoyed breath, one that actually made Martin smile slightly from its familiarity, and shook his head. “Don’t apologize for crying, Martin. I just want to know what’s wrong.” 

Martin knew he could make up some excuse and Jon, most likely, wouldn’t press him on it. Instead, he inhaled, and let out the truth. He explained, stuttering slightly, that he had been listening to Georgie’s podcast, had heard Jon’s voice, and had let his heartbreak overwhelm him slightly. “Not that I’m not happy for you!” he finished, voice getting higher and higher as he continued. “I am! If you’re happy, then I am happy for you. It’s just, you know, a process. Tim was explaining it to me at the holiday party, I think it just takes time--” 

“What in the world are you talking about?” Jon’s had seemingly gotten more flustered, more confused as Martin had kept talking. “You’re upset because I’m living with Georgie?” 

Martin deflated a bit, not really knowing what else to say. He nodded, slowly, before adding, “I know it’s terrible of me to be upset about you having a girlfriend, Jon, I just--” 

Again, Jon cut him off before he could finish, this time by laughing. Martin hadn’t really been expecting Jon to be _angry_ at him, had more expected Jon to feel _pity_ towards him, but he had...really not been expecting Jon to _laugh_. He hadn’t thought Jon could be that cruel, even when he was sometimes a giant prick. 

Martin furrowed his brows, ready to actually stand up for himself, when Jon spoke. “I’m sorry, Martin, I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s not amusing, really, I can see how you misunderstood. But Georgie and I aren’t dating. We haven’t in…almost a decade.” 

Martin’s brain stopped for a minute. He believed Jon, had no reason to believe Jon would lie, but-- “You’re living together?”   
  
“Ah,” Jon said, sobering up, small grin slipping away, “yes. I needed a place to go, after....well. She took me in when I needed a place to stay, and I simply haven’t found another flat yet. I’ve been looking, but honestly, it’s been less of a priority compared to…” he trailed off, but Martin could fill in the silences. There was a lot on Jon’s plate lately. 

“What about the holiday party?” Martin asked, confused. What other reason would there be for Jon and Georgie to sneak off into a dark room, if they hadn’t been planning on...well. 

“Oh, that,” Jon said, his face flushing. “It’s...well, it’s a rather long story, but to sum it up, we were looking for you.” 

“What?” Martin asked, feeling his own face heat up as well. “Why were you looking for me?” Jon had been looking for him. Jon, who was not dating Georgie, had been looking for him at the holiday party and had found him with Tim pressing him against a wall. Of course. 

“I. Well, I have been meaning to have a conversation with you for awhile, and Georgie thought maybe the party would have been...but then, of course, you were. Um. Busy.” Jon wasn’t meeting his eyes, clearly remembering just as well as Martin was how awkward that encounter had been. 

“Oh. Well. Um,” Martin said, wiping absently at his eyes, “I’m not. Now, I mean. Busy?” 

“No,” Jon said, rather wryly, “I suppose you’re not. Alright. I’ve been meaning to ask you this for awhile, Martin, and I do think my chances higher now than I did an hour ago, so. Would you like to go out for dinner?” 

Martin stared at him. He must have misheard. Or misunderstood? This was truly Jon, he could tell that much. He may have failed Sasha, but he wouldn’t have made that same mistake with Jon. He had spent too many hours studying him, his voice, his face, his scars. This was Jon and he had asked him, Martin, out for dinner. 

“Um,” Martin said, eyes wide. “Y...es?” 

Jon nodded, still avoiding eye contact. “Alright. Well then. I guess I’ll...after work? Tonight?” 

Martin paused, and then pulled his phone out. The time read 6:15. “I think it is, actually, already after work,” he said, flashing the phone screen towards Jon. 

Jon stared at it for a second and then nodded, briskly. “Alright. Now then. I’ll go get my coat. Actually, you uh. You left yours in my office, awhile ago. I still have it. If you want that back.” 

“Yeah,” Martin said, slowly starting to smile, “I do.” 

**#5**

Georgie Barker’s apartment was cozy. Martin had to admit, it was much more comfortable than his own, and by that standard, probably about ten times as nice as any place Jon would have rented for just himself. Sure, it was a little awkward going back to his boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend’s place after dinner, but Jon had assured him that Georgie was out for dinner as well, and most likely wouldn’t be home that night. 

“She does that,” he had said, shrugging, as they had walked into the flat and Jon had immediately gone to find The Admiral. The fact that Jon was a cat person was so endearing, so _cute_ , that Martin had casually started browsing websites for local shelters. He knew that logically it wasn’t a good idea, bringing in a new animal to the apartment he barely wanted to be in himself, but… 

He did still get rather lonely at home. 

They had ended up on the couch, Jon curled into Martin’s side, The Admiral resting his paw on Jon’s leg as he stroked a free hand absently through his fur, a documentary playing on the tv. Martin couldn’t remember a time where he had felt this...safe. Warm. Happy? He turned his head, trying to be subtle, trying to study Jon’s face as he focused on the documentary. 

Jon caught him pretty quickly, however, but instead of looking exasperated, he just looked...fond. Martin couldn’t help but smile, and when Jon smiled back, he felt like his heart might explode from happiness. He and Jon had only been dating a few weeks, but that was still...well, it was really the longest relationship Martin had ever had and it was hard to believe, sometimes, that this was happening to _him_. 

The Admiral, seemingly fed up with the two humans on the couch smiling at and fonding over each other, yawned and did a big stretch before jumping down from the couch and wandering over to the radiator to curl up there. Jon watched him go, clearly a little put out that he was no longer being blessed, and Martin couldn’t help but chuckle softly at the look on his boyfriend’s face. 

Jon turned back to him, a small pout forming on his lips, but Martin cut it off by leaning in and pressing their lips together. Kissing Jon was still new. They had agreed to take things slow, to give them both time to get used to this new relationship and all the factors that came along with it. They had had a conversation, on their third date. They were out at dinner, and Jon had been fidgeting with his silverware, not really eating. Martin had grown more and more worried as the night went on, before finally, Jon had blurted out that he didn’t want to have sex with Martin. Yet, at least. Martin had been...confused, to say the least, but after actually coaxing Jon into using his big boy words, they had actually figured a lot out about each other. It had been nice. Intimate, even, in a way that hadn’t required any physical contact at all. 

That conversation, and knowing that Martin certainly didn’t _require_ sex at all and was more than happy to go without as long as he got to spend time with Jon, could do small things like hold Jon’s hand as they walked to the tube together after work, could talk to Jon about his day and call Jon his boyfriend to strangers at the store while he was picking up more tea, had made Jon more comfortable with physicality than he had been before. And once they had started kissing...well, it was hard for Martin to ever want to stop.

There was something addicting about getting his hands in Jon’s hair, about the way they pressed together so Jon was shifting further into the arm of the couch, the way one of Jon’s hands tangled into Martin’s shirt and the other came to rest on the back of his neck, holding him close, making it clear that just because Martin was bigger didn’t mean he’d get away with being more domineering… 

And then the hand tangled in his shirt let it go, smoothed it out absently, slid down to the hem, and then hesitated before sliding under and resting on bare skin, and every nerve ending on Martin’s stomach seemed to be screaming and--

The door opened. 

Martin swore against Jon’s mouth. 

Jon looked amused, quickly, before that amusement quickly turned into acknowledgement and then, finally, into embarrassment. He shoved at Martin’s shoulders, gently, and Martin sat up, running a hand through his own hair as Jon bolted upright and turned to face Georgie. 

Everyone in the room, besides The Admiral, was bright red. “Sorry!” Georgie said, a hand covering her eyes. “Sorry, sorry! Don’t mind me! I am heading towards the bedroom, I will...give you two some privacy, okay!” 

“No, wait!” Jon said, which was the exact opposite of what Martin currently wanted to hear. “We’re not doing anything. Really. Why don’t you...come and watch this documentary with us? It’s very interesting!” Jon was clearly flustered, clearly struggling to cover it up, clearly _embarrassed_ and Martin wasn’t sure if he had ever been more frustrated at Georgie Barker’s presence than he currently was. 

For a second, it looked like she was going to decline the offer and head to her room anyway, but then Jon, the bastard that he is, shoots her his best approximation of puppy eyes, and she waivers. She sits down, carefully, on the edge of the couch where Jon had made room for her. She glances at Martin, once, briefly, and then turns her eyes to the tv where they remained for a solid fifteen minutes while all three people tried to unwind. 

It was clear that Jon was worried he was in trouble, that reaching out to Georgie and asking her to stay had been an attempt to make sure his oldest friend wasn’t upset at him, and Martin had trouble faulting him for that. After awhile, the tension eased out of the room, and Georgie and Jon started talking about the documentary, Jon making dry comments that made Georgie snort out a laugh. 

Martin held out, wanting to remain annoyed that Georgie had interrupted them, but it was...hard. Jon was funny, really, when you understood him and his idea of humor. And the documentary really was interesting, even when Georgie talked over it to correct something they had gotten wrong. 

It didn’t feel like much time had passed before the end credits were rolling and Jon, carefully, suggested they put on another one. Martin couldn’t bring himself to disagree, instead wrapping an arm around Jon’s shoulders and tugging him back into his side. 

Jon didn’t seem to mind, and if they were going to spend another hour and a half with Georgie, he might as well be comfy while doing so. 

**+1 time he didn’t**. 

Jon was missing. Or, well, not missing, technically. Not yet missing. He hadn’t been at work, though, and he hadn’t reached out to Martin to let him know why. It was a little bit hard not to panic, especially when Martin had been trying to reach him by text all day. It had only taken two hours of not hearing back before Martin had stormed to Elias’ office and tried to demand that Elias tell him where Jon was. 

Of course, that didn't work. Elias had grown seemingly less and less fond of Martin since he and Jon had officially gotten together, and although Martin didn’t know _why_ exactly, he knew it probably wasn’t great for whatever future scheme their boss was going to come up with. Elias hadn’t been _rude_ about telling Martin no, which was the worst part, because if he had been mean, Martin wouldn’t have felt bad about being mean _back_ but instead they were just forcibly _polite_ at each other and honestly…

Martin really was not fond of Elias. 

He was even more not fond of Elias when, as he was turning to leave his office, the older man put in, “Oh, just as a reminder, Martin, you _do_ still have six more hours on the clock today.” Martin had scowled as he walked back to his desk, deciding to work more on his plan of _getting Elias out of the office_ more than his actual work that day. 

By the time he was off work, Martin was close to a full blown anxiety attack. Of course it was very Jon to go missing, but Martin was hoping it would be different now that they were dating. He was at least hoping for a _text_ before Jon went missing. 

He hurried out of the institute, barely taking the time to say goodbye to Tim and Melanie, and immediately started the journey towards Jon (and Georgie’s) flat. It was very possible that Jon was just sick, Martin acknowledged that. It was also possible that Jon had been attacked by another worm monster and was locked in his apartment. 

...Or maybe Martin was biased. 

He knocked on the door to the flat, awkwardly bouncing in place, trying to dispel some of his nervous energy, hoping that Jon would answer the door and mention that he had forgotten to charge his phone or that his phone had accidentally fallen in the tub. 

Of course, Martin wasn’t that lucky. Jon didn’t answer the door. 

Georgie did. Which, okay, it was technically her apartment, he didn’t know what he was expecting. She looked at him, clearly a bit confused, which was...maybe a good sign? Surely, if Jon had died or the apartment had been broken into and ransacked, she’d look a little more concerned. “Martin! Hello, I uh. Wasn’t expecting you?” she said, a polite smile on her face after the initial confusion wore away. 

Martin was still bouncing. “Oh, um. I was just...is Jon in?” he asked, trying to keep his feet planted on the ground. 

“Oh, no, he’s not. He left around...well, around an hour ago?” 

Martin relaxed, a fraction. An hour ago meant that Jon had not been dead the entire time Martin was wasting away at the institute, planning fun and creative ways to rid the world of Elias Bouchard. Jon leaving the apartment willingly, only an hour ago, probably means that Jon wasn’t kidnapped. 

However, it didn’t mean that Jon hadn’t left around an hour ago to do something completely and utterly stupid. That seemed to, mostly, just be in Jon’s nature at this point. He must have looked as worried as he truly felt, because Georgie opened the door a bit wider. “Why don’t you come inside and wait for him? I’m sure he’ll be back soon,” she said, her eyes kind.

Martin sometimes found it hard to remind himself that he hated her. “Oh! Thank you, that’s very kind, but I don’t...well, I don’t want to intrude.” 

“It’s fine, Martin. Honestly, this place is as much Jon’s as it is my own now, and I’m sure he’d love to see you. I don’t know how he can stand working from home, honestly, it would really bother me not seeing anyone all day,” she continued talking, and Martin felt himself give in. Jon had just been working from home. Of course. That was...well, that was logical. 

And Georgie’s voice really was soothing. “Well,” he said, hesitant. “If you’re sure.” 

Georgie had just smiled at him and opened the door further so he could step inside. Martin’s eyes landed on the kitchen table, where he could see Jon’s cellphone. He really was in love with a moron.

Jon wasn’t back soon, and the first thirty minutes were painfully awkward. Martin was perched on the couch while Georgie bustled around in the kitchen, offering him a drink every few minutes it seemed. Finally, Georgie came into the living room and handed Martin something. It was a controller. 

“What’s this for?” he asked, looking from the controller up to Georgie in confusion. 

“We,” Georgie said, sitting beside him on the couch and getting the tv ready, “are going to play MarioKart while we wait for Jon to come home. We are going to have fun, and when he gets home, he will be jealous that he missed out. Are you ready?” 

Martin stared at her in shock for a minute, before finally nodding. “Okay,” he said, slowly. “Georgie Barker, prepare to be destroyed.”   
  
It was _fun_. Martin was, admittedly, maybe a little bit more competitive than he should be when it came to fun games like this, but it always felt like he had something he needed to prove. Especially against Georgie. It always felt that way against Georgie. But every time he threw out a cheap trick or a barbed comment, Georgie shot one back, and after three rounds, Martin almost forgot that he was worried about Jon. 

“Hey, Martin?” Georgie said, voice so casual that it felt put upon. 

Martin tensed, a little, and didn’t look away from the tv. Georgie kept her eyes on the game as well. “Yeah?” he asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking. 

“I know you don’t like me,” Georgie said, and Martin had to force himself not to jump at the outright statement. 

“I...it’s not that…” he stuttered, hands gripping the controller tighter. 

“No, I know,” Georgie insisted, her voice still calm. “I don’t mind. Well, I mean, I’m not mad. I understand. It must be hard, dating someone who is living with his ex, and dating _Jonathan_. Well. That probably just makes it harder. But, I am glad he listened to me. I’m happy for you.” 

Martin pressed the pause button on the game, finally turning to look at her. “Wait, what do you mean?” he asked, brows furrowed in confusion. “Listened to you? About what?” 

Georgie tilted her head to the side, clearly confused, before a smile found its way to her face. “Of course he didn’t tell you. Martin, Jon wasn’t inviting me places as his date-” and at this Martin wanted to protest that he _knew that now_ , that Jon had explained that they were just friends, but Georgie kept speaking, “-he was trying to have me as his wingman. I told him I’d help him ask you out. Of course, that backfired pretty spectacularly, but. I’ve been rooting for you two the whole time. I’m glad you managed to work it out, er. Despite my involvement.” 

Martin stared at her, hearing what she was saying, but having trouble reconciling with it. This whole time, for months now, he had been convinced that Georgie was somehow a problem. He had been telling himself he didn’t like her, couldn’t like her, even after he and Jon had gotten together, all because he had...well, if he was honest, he had seen her as a threat. She was gorgeous, she was smart and driven and fearless, and she knew Jon better than anyone. 

Or, at least, she had known the old Jon better than anyone. Martin thought he could call dibs on the person Jon was becoming. God, his jealousy always had been one of his worst traits. 

“Georgie, I’m sorry,” Martin said, hanging his head slightly. “I never meant to...I wasn’t trying to be mean. I just…” he trailed off, not sure how to explain himself, not wanting to get into his traumatic background and self-esteem issues, not now at least. 

Georgie seemed to understand, and put her controller down, instead extending her hand to Martin. “Hello,” she said, “I’m Georgie Barker. I’m Jon’s ex-girlfriend and I am in no way trying to date him again, especially not now that I have a very attractive girlfriend.” 

Martin laughed, a bit taken aback, but took her hand. “Hi,” he said, his eyes crinkling with his smile, “I’m Martin Blackwood. I’m Jon’s current boyfriend, and I’m a little bit of a jealous bastard sometimes.” 

“Well, Martin Blackwood,” Georgie said, matching his smile, “aren’t we all sometimes. I hope we can be friends.”   
  
“Yeah,” Martin replied, “I think we can.” 

Before they could pick up their game of MarioKart, the door opened. Both of their heads turned at once, and Jon stopped in his tracks as he walked in the door. He looked a little taken aback, seeing Martin and Georgie both on the couch, and then frowned. He looked down at his pants, as he patted at his pockets, and then looked up at Martin, the frown turning apologetic. 

He had a scratch on his cheek, and it was bleeding. 

Martin turned to look at Georgie, and Georgie sighed. “I’ll go get the first aid kit,” she said, standing up and setting the controller down on the couch. “You can rip into him first.” 

“I really do have an explanation,” Jon started, but Georgie and Martin both shook their heads. 

“You’re a moron,” Martin scolded him, standing up and making his way over to his boyfriend. Jon frowned up at him, a little more petulant now, but Martin simply cupped his (not hurt) cheek and leaned in to kiss him. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up,” he said, leading Jon over to the couch where Georgie could tend to his wound. 

Martin couldn’t stop himself from thinking that, in that moment, he really did feel like he was as far from lonely as humanly possible. It felt amazing.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on twitter @ myhistoryread :)


End file.
